Italian Easter Sweet Bread [Pane di Pasqua]

Lina’s Italian Easter Sweet Bread (also known as Pane di Pasqua) is a simple, light yeast bread flavored with a hint of orange. Would you believe me if I told you that there are mashed potatoes in the line-up of eight ingredients to make this wonderful Italian sweet bread recipe?

There was a time I was absolutely apprehensive about using yeast. I had this preconceived idea that only professional bakers had the magical ability to decipher when the first rising was complete.

And what about the business of punching down the dough…what if I punched it too much, would I deactivate the yeast? What if I did not punch it enough?

It just seemed very complicated.

I decided to confront my fears and misconceptions about yeast and have never looked back since. So, if you think that yeast is too complicated and that you cannot even beat an egg, never mind about punching down dough…I am here to assure you that if I can work with yeast, anyone can.

I bet you if you just tried it once…you will get hooked. Just like me!

And this is the perfect recipe to begin with.

I got very excited when I first saw the ingredients for this recipe. You see, I’ve already had the pleasure of making a yeast dough with the addition of mashed potatoes and the results were amazing (just click on the recipe link for the softest cinnamon rolls ever… Easy Mashed Potato Cinnamon Rolls).

This recipe for Lina’s Italian Easter Sweet Bread can make 6 round or 3 braided loaves. You can decide whatever shape you want.

This Pane di Pasqua recipe is a really wonderfully soft dough to work with. It’s super easy to make the braid and the final product makes anybody look like a pro.

Here you have the round version of the same recipe. I am sure you can also make individual mini breads with this dough…something to add to my to-do list!

ORIGINS OF THE RECIPE FOR LINA’S ITALIAN EASTER BREAD:

It’s no secret that I absolutely love anything made with yeast. When a colleague of mine, Fabiana, learned of my yeast obsession, she was generous enough to share her family’s recipe for this Italian Easter bread with me.

My friend’s mom was born in Ururi, a small town in the province of Campobasso, in the Italian region of Molise. I learned that there was a migration of Albanian refugees following the invasion of the Balkans in the 15th century by the Ottoman’s empire. Ururi was one of the places that these uprooted Albanians settled in. I can’t help but wonder if this recipe, which according to Fabiana, was always referred to as poprati, was influenced by the Arbëreshë people.

The original recipe said, with regards to flour, to use quanto basta – which essentially means to use as much flour as the mixture will absorb. If you think that a description like that in a recipe is super vague and unhelpful, you are not alone.These two words have haunted so many of us trying to recapture and honor our families’ recipes. But we are a resilient group as we continue to bake and document as best as we can.

I would like to mention that the original recipe that Fabiana provided me with had 1 1/2 cups of sugar. I reduced it to 1 cup. That’s the beauty of recipes, you can adapt to your own preferences.

Egg wash:

Instructions

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl (of stand mixer) whisk eggs at medium speed until nice and frothy (3-4 minutes).

Gradually add sugar. Continue to whisk for another 3-4 minutes.

Whisk in the oil and orange zest.

Combine yeast mixture with riced potatoes.

Add to egg mixture and whisk together on low speed.

Add half of flour mixture and mix on low speed for about one minute.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Switch to dough hook and add the rest of the flour.

Mix for about 5-8 minutes until smooth and elastic. Alternately, you can knead by hand.

Line large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Make sure to turn dough in order to completely coat the dough with the oil.

Let rise for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Punch dough.

Cover and let rise for about 30 minutes or until double in size.

Punch dough again.

Divide in 6 portions if making round loaves or in 3 portions if making braided bread.(Continue to divide each section in 3).

For braided bread: roll each section into a log (about 10 inches long and 1 1/2 inch thick); start making a braid with the three strands. Tuck ends underneath the braid.

Place on prepared cookie sheet.

Cover with clean tea towel and let rise for about 30-45 minutes or until double in size.

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Brush loaves with egg wash (whisk egg and milk together).

Bake small round loaves for about 25-30 minutes; bake braided loaves for about 50-60 minutes. Depending on your oven, you might want to place a sheet of aluminum paper loosely over the loaves, to prevent them from over browning.

Cool on wire racks.

Scroll UP for the STEP by STEP PhotosDon't miss the process shots and videos included in most posts. Simply scroll up the post to find them. Those were created especially for you so that you can make the recipe perfectly every single time you try it.

Notes

The serving size is calculated as 1 loaf.

Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is just a rough estimate and variations can occur depending on the specific ingredients used.

DO YOU LOVE THIS ITALIAN EASTER BREAD RECIPE?

About Maria

Maria Vannelli is a registered dietitian who lives in a suburb just outside Montreal, Canada. She's the founder of the food blog She Loves Biscotti. Maria hopes to inspire you and bring you and your loved ones closer together at meal times enabling you to create some memorable moments.

Hi Maria; I’ve made two batches already from your recipe and the results were perfect. My parents are from Campobasso, and i love my mom’s Easter bread. However as you well know their recipes are all instinctual with eyeballing ingredients and feeling the right textures. She was impressed with my bread! Thank you, Hope you had a lovely Easter, I enjoy your website very much. Laval,QC

This recipe sounds wonderful I can’t wait to make it tomorrow morning to go with Easter dinner. My question is if I don’t need all three loaves of braided bread…. Would it be okay to half the recipe and make one large braided loaf?

Happy Easter Maria, I was happy to find your receipe for Italian knot cookies. My Abruzzo relatives rolled and cut the cookies in diamond shapes to represent the cross and were made for Easter. Your flavours were just the way I remember. Your amaretti cookies are just perfect and your receipe is now being shared with my friends. Thank you for your vision of sharing! Regards, Linda DiPaolo- Caron

I’m making this recipe right now… on the first rise step. I didn’t have any oranges so I zested a lemon. Hopefully it works out ok!

I have a question about the braiding option. You state to divide into 3 if braiding and then you say to divide again into three? Not sure if I ready it correctly. So if I did read it correctly, in the end will I end up with 3 braided loafs?

Hi. I have questions about the potatoes. Can you use red potatoes mashed or whipped? I don’t have a ricer…. will the results be poor if I made this substitution? I was hoping to give it a go today. Thx.

I just finished baking the Pane di Pasqua whose origin is from Ururi. It has cooled now and I just had to have a piece; absolutely divine. I did make 3 changes: I flavored the batter with Fiori di Sicilia about 1/2 tsp, 1 small packet of Vanillina and 1/8 tsp. of cinnamon oil and I followed your recipe to the last letter. Texture was a light as a feather, the crumb was yellow and soft not too sweet but yet you knew there was a mysterious flavor lurking somewhere in recipe. I did not put the little candies on top I thought they would take away from the mysterious taste. Ti auspico Una Buona Pasqua!

About Maria

Hello and Welcome to She Loves Biscotti! I'm Maria: dietitian and full time content creator. Join me as I share traditional Italian recipes from my youth, to modern twists on classics using fresh and seasonal ingredients.